Looking To Tomorrow
by Chameleon777
Summary: Sequel to 'Collision of Time and Trials.' Everyone has their own journey to undertake, their parts to play, and enemies to evade. There are answers to that which seems unanswered, evidence that happiness can come from sorrow, and the reality that time does not heal all wounds is made clear. Yet another struggle to endure and survive has risen.


_**December 1**_

_**Apartment – New York, New York**_

The digital clock on the microwave switched to 3:00 as Danielle came out of her and Maurice's master bedroom in her pajamas and a robe that Maurice had surprised her with shortly after they had got married. She had been sound asleep in bed when she had heard noise that had woken her up. Shortly after the wedding, her father had surprised them with news that a nice apartment in his building was open for rent and that it had three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms and was reasonably priced.

Deeply grateful to be able to stay close to her father, Danielle had talked it over with Bosco and the kids and they had all moved into the apartment that had been furnished by Sully's unexpected generosity.

Now, while Maurice was still sound asleep, Danielle found herself in the shared kitchen and living room space and saw that John and David were sitting on the couch in their pajamas and talking softly to one another, "...You don't have to get up when I do, but at least Mom and Maurice don't get up and worry," John said in a quiet voice. "I haven't been sleeping since that crap Catherine pulled at my school…"

Danielle crossed her arms and gently cleared her throat as she came into the living room, "John Tyrone and David Monte, what are you two doing up at three a.m. when you both have school tomorrow?" she asked in a gentle, but concerned voice. "I understand that the Christmas break is in a couple of weeks…"

"John doesn't sleep past two," David commented softly. "He sits in bed or walks around the house."

John looked horrified, but didn't say anything, "David, be quiet or else you're gonna wake Maurice and Ellie up," he finally said in an anxious voice. "Sleeping from ten until two is good enough for me…"

"No, honey, it's not," Danielle replied, cutting him off. "A good night's sleep helps your blood sugar."

John scoffed, "I don't even go to a real school anymore," he replied in an irritated voice, not caring that he felt like he was going to cry. "I go to the building, but then the teacher sends me to a room and tells me to do my work quietly. It's been that way since Catherine came to the school with a gun…"

"Your father and I will take you to school later and talk with your teachers about changing that," Danielle replied in a reassuring voice. "Since when are you back to calling him Maurice anyway?"

David sighed, "John's scared of him," he replied when John didn't say a word. "Dunno why."

"Why haven't you talked about that with the counselor the school assigned you after Catherine almost hurt you?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice as she gave John a mystified look. "It would help you."

John shrugged, "The school told me yesterday that it would be at least January before they could get me one because of budget crap," he replied softly. "In January, we gotta go back to Miami for that thing…"

"Speaking of Miami, I was wondering how you'd feel about being able to talk to Emily Wolfe through Skype?" Danielle asked, having got an email the other day from Emily that she was now in a position to formally begin talking to John via Skype if he wanted to talk. "Emily suggested it and it might help you."

John nodded and promptly yawned, "We'll talk about it more later," Danielle replied firmly. "For now, though, I want you and David to go back to bed and stay there until seven. I'll see you both later."

"Okay," John replied in a sleepy voice as he got up. "Don't tell Maurice I was up, okay Mom?"

Danielle sighed as David got up off the couch, "You know I'm going to," she replied softly. "John, don't before to check your blood sugar before you go back to bed and David, make sure he actually does it."

As John and David walked back to the bedroom that they shared, Danielle sighed and silently walked over to the large window that was just on the other side of the kitchen table. She had been a light sleeper since John was a baby, but it had only gotten worse since she had been forced to spend quality time with Edward out in the middle of nowhere. Now that she was married to Maurice, it had worsened.

Tears filled Danielle's eyes as she hugged herself and sighed, "I think that this whole family could use some counseling after all that we've been through," she whispered softly, staring out at the falling snow for only a moment longer before she turned and walked over to the counter where the phone book was.

Letting out a tired sigh, Danielle opened the phone book and flipped through the pages until she found a list of family counseling centers that were in the area. She quickly put a slip of paper in the area and closed the book. She intended to talk to Maurice about the idea once all the kids were at school.

* * *

_**Coral Gables Medical Centre - Miami, Florida**_

"Bernie, Ramon told me you were sick," Edward said in an anxious voice as he came into the fancy hospital room and saw Bernard laying in a hospital bed in a gown with electrodes on his chest that were sending information to a machine next to the bed. "I never knew you had a bad heart. Should I…?"

Bernard sighed and fiddled with the tube in his nose briefly before glaring at Edward, "You're supposed to be meeting with Clavo and Ramon about trying to get Emily in here to see me," he snapped in an aggravated voice. "Since you now know that my heart is bad, I now want you to work for them."

"I hate working with Clavo and Ramon," Edward whined. "They always threaten to take away the diplomatic immunity their daddy gave to me and Ricky. Although, Ricky turned on them…"

Bernard scoffed, "Save the drama, Eddie," he replied in a gruff voice. "I've been keeping up with the news since I've been here and I did not order Catherine to shoot Ricky like that; she has gone insane."

"Over her missing kid?" Edward asked in a mystified voice. "Emily lost a kid and she didn't go nuts."

Bernard sighed as he struggled to stay awake, "I ordered Ramon to give James back to Emily, so she now owes me a favor," he explained in a tired voice. "You can use my laptop to send her an email to arrange a place to meet if you wish. I doubt you could go into the police department without getting arrested."

"Thanks," Edward replied as he walked over to the portable table where Bernard's laptop was plugged in to the wall and open, ready to use. "Do you want me to tell her you're sick in the hospital?"

Bernard sighed, "No, the letter I sent her already says that," he replied roughly. "She must be developing a tough skin since she hasn't attempted to contact me for the longest time."

Edward didn't reply; he was busy trying to make out an email that sounded threatening, "Should I send Rick another message?" he asked absentmindedly. "I sent him to New York back in November and…"

"Wait, you're the one who told Rick to go to New York?" Bernard asked in an aggravated voice.

Edward nodded, his eyes still on the screen, "I told Rick to go talk to Catherine, but I had no idea that she was going to shoot him and then try to actually go after John," he replied worriedly. "I told Rick where John went to school, but I didn't think that anything would come of it. I just wanted to help…"

"You were careless," Bernard said in a sharp voice. "Forget the email; I can't trust you with that."

Edward froze and looked at Bernard, "Word on the street is that Raymond Caine is running amok trying to find people who will actually give him money to feed his habit," Bernard said in a tired voice. "I want you see if you can find Ray. Offer him money if he'll give you access to the list of Assistance clients; he's one of the founders of that stupid Victims Assistance organization that Emily ran to help for…"

"You want me to go into the underworld of Miami?" Edward whined. "I'll end up killed down there!"

Bernard scoffed and pointed to the door, "You'll die quicker if you don't go," he snapped. "Get going."

Swallowing hard, Edward straightened up and left the room, leaving Bernard alone to rest quietly.

* * *

_**Coconut Grove - Miami, Florida**_

Shivering anxiously, Bobby stepped out the back door of the modest-sized house that he had bought with the money from the sale of his house in New York. A MDPD t-shirt, sweats, and crocs didn't offer much warmth, but the thoughts and memories of his old life were too much to let him get a good sleep.

The yard was large, but it had a swing set, a jungle gym made out of tires, and a small sandbox that was filled with toys and sand. A ping went through Bobby's heart as he realized that he still had to go through Maggie's and Amanda's things and decide what to give to friends or away to local charities.

Adam and BJ were sound asleep in the medium-sized bedroom that was on the second floor of the house along with his master bedroom, a bathroom, and an office while the kitchen, living room, and den were downstairs. He didn't have to work that day, so it was an ideal time to have a sleepless night.

His uncle lived only a few blocks away, Bobby reasoned as he lay down on the small, padded lawn chair that was just outside the back door, but he was probably asleep and wouldn't want to be woken up.

Tears came to Bobby's eyes as he looked around at the yard that was fenced in by a steel gate that led out to the empty driveway. He hadn't expected to come home to Miami without a wife or a daughter; he had always intended on all of them coming to Miami to live together as a family someday.

Suddenly, the phone inside started to ring and Bobby quickly got up and hurried inside before the phone woke BJ and Adam up, "Hello?" he asked as he walked back outside with the phone. "Uncle Horatio?"

As Bobby talked on the phone, he didn't notice that a back door had opened in the yard next door and that Natalia had come out in pajamas that were covered by a housecoat and slippers with a watering can in one hand. She moved over to the fence and began to water the flowers in the small boxes.

"Are you at the front door, Uncle Horatio?" Bobby asked, not noticing that Natalia had stopped watering the plants and was looking at him with a mystified expression on her face. "Just come to the back gate."

There was a click and Bobby sighed as he sat back down on the lawn chair. Not wanting to throw up all over the deck, he lay back and swallowed hard as he stared up at the sky, sniffling softly as he did.

Warm tears ran freely from his tired eyes and Bobby nearly threw up out of fright when the gate creaked open, "Easy," Horatio commented, frowning as Bobby gagged and sat up in his chair.

Bobby groaned and sank back down, "I had been woken up by an angry phone call from Rick when I suddenly had the feeling that I wasn't the only one awake," Horatio explained, suddenly noticing Natalia going back inside her house as Bobby closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Did he phone you?"

"I've been so busy with everything that I've only visited Rick once since he was transferred to Miami and then he ended up with pneumonia and had to be tubed for two more weeks," Bobby replied in an apologetic voice as he opened his eyes and sat up. "I was thinking of visiting him later today, actually."

Horatio nodded, "Have you gotten a full night's sleep since Maggie and Amanda died, Bobby?" he asked in a concerned voice as he noticed how pale and thin his nephew was. "Maybe you should talk to…"

"Hagen's already scared of me and if I went to a counselor, the other officers in Homicide would become more scared of me than they already are," Bobby replied in a distressed voice as he got up off the lawn chair. "Last week, I asked Hagen why he seemed afraid of me and he told me to shut up and get…"

Horatio raised an eyebrow at Hagen's behavior, but said nothing, "Do you want to come in for some coffee before BJ and Adam decide they want to get up?" Bobby asked in a tired voice. "I'm awake."

"No, I have to get to work early and take care of some paperwork," Horatio replied, fully intending on going straight to his office and seeing if he could talk to Emily Wolfe about whether or not Detective Hagen should go back to counseling while Bobby was assigned to another trainer. "Are you okay?"

Bobby shrugged, "It's getting a bit nippy out here, so maybe I'll go in and make myself some hot chocolate," he replied in a tired voice as he moved to the door. "Thanks for checking on me."

Horatio nodded and waited until Bobby went back inside before he left through the back gate.

* * *

Searing pain jerked Ryan awake and he lay in his bed breathing heavily and nearly gagging.

The room he had at the Speedles wasn't home; it would never be home and he wanted to get enough money so that he could buy a new place for himself, Emily, James, and Julliet like they had before.

Swearing under his breath, Ryan slowly sat up and placed a hand on his aching chest as he fumbled for the touch lamp that was in his small bedroom. His eye was getting better, but he had to wear tinted glasses for protection and take antibiotics until they were fully healed. Light suddenly filled the room.

Ryan sighed and, wiping the cold sweat from his face, he got out of bed and silently walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen. He took his sunglasses off and immediately realized that he could only see clearly out of one eye even though the other eye was supposedly healing. What was wrong?

"Ryan?" a tired, but concerned voice asked as another door opened and footsteps approached.

Ryan turned and through his good eye, he could see Emily, who was dressed in slippers, sweats, and a t-shirt with a bandana over her thinning air, coming towards him helping Julliet, who was wearing flannel pajamas, walk across the plush carpet, "Ryan, your eye is nearly swollen shut," Emily said in an anxious voice as she looked at Ryan's puffy eye a moment before looking at Julliet. "How's your chest?"

"It feels worse than it did when I got shot," Ryan replied tiredly. "I just want to be back at the lab."

Emily nodded and sighed, "I'm sorry that the airport let you go because of what happened at the lab and that witch reporter playing it up as if you planned to get shot," she replied in a disgusted voice as her cell-phone, which she always kept on her, buzzed, "Why don't you come with me when I visit James?"

Ryan shrugged as Emily helped Julliet sit on the rug and then pulled out her cell phone, "Emily Wolfe," she said in a professional voice as Ryan slowly sat down on a chair at the counter. "Lieutenant Caine?"

There was talking and Emily sighed, "I can come right away," she replied in a tired voice. "See you soon."

"Let me guess, Horatio wants to give you a job," Ryan said in a pained voice. "I suppose I'm fired."

Emily scoffed, "Don't talk like that!" she replied in a stern voice. "Are you gonna see a doctor about…?"

"My eye?" Ryan interrupted in a pained voice. "I'll take a taxi to the hospital later in the day."

Emily sighed just as Anthony came out into the kitchen dressed in a suit, "Mister Speedle, would you please take Ryan to the emergency room on your way to work?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Anthony nodded and gave Ryan a concerned look, "Your eye?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah," Ryan replied in a nervous voice as Emily put her phone away and picked up Julliet.

Anthony nodded and looked at Emily, "Going to visit James?" he asked in a fatherly tone.

"I'm hoping James will be well enough to leave the hospital soon," Emily replied in a gentle voice as she held Julliet close. "Before I visit the hospital, though, I need to go and see what Lieutenant Caine wants."

Anthony raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, "Would you like a ride?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Marisol already offered to take me to the hospital, so I'm going to see if we can stop by the MDPD before we go to the hospital," Emily replied tiredly. "I can't imagine why he wants to see me."

* * *

_**Delgado Lounge**_

_I can't believe I snapped at my partner. _Detective Hagen thought mournfully as he downed another shot of whiskey, adding to the three he had already downed since waking in a cold sweat earlier that morning after a nightmare of his poor behavior on the job. He had actually snapped at someone he was training.

The worst part was that Bobby hadn't done anything to deserve it, but he had been surprisingly forgiving about the incident. It had been a week since the incident and the younger man hadn't brought it up once after it had happened. They had just answered calls and did their work according to protocol.

Ray had been his last partner, Detective Hagen thought bitterly, and he had ended up descending into a world that had been his moral downfall. Ever since Ray had suddenly reappeared in the back seat of his car and had basically threatened him, Detective Hagen had been on edge and paranoid, but he had muddled his way through his psych assessment so Emily Wolfe would give him the all-clear for duty.

"Can I get a margarita, please?" a voice suddenly said as someone sat down next to him.

Detective Hagen looked at the blonde man sitting next to him, "Rough day?" he asked drunkenly.

"My boss ordered me to hang out in the underworld for a while," Edward replied, quickly recognizing the man as Detective Hagen of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "What about you, buddy?"

Alarm bells went off in Detective Hagen's head, but he amounted it to the alcohol giving him a much needed buzz, "I yelled at my partner on the job last week," he replied drunkenly. "He just moved here from New York City and is just trying to move on with his life after his wife and daughter died…"

Edward's eyes widened a bit as he realized that Detective Hagen was referring to Lieutenant Caine's nephew, Bobby, who had lost his wife and daughter not too long ago, "My last partner got himself in too deep in undercover stuff and I don't know if I'm cut out for training someone out of New York."

"How about I buy you some drinks to help with the hurt, bud?" Edward asked in a compassionate voice.

Detective Hagen was quiet for a moment and then nodded, not caring if he was late to work that day.

Edward grinned and raised his hand, "Barkeep, another round," he said in a tone of amusement.

* * *

**_Miami-Dade Crime Lab - Miami, Florida_**

_"Well, it's about time you woke up," an accented voice said. "You've been so out of it."_

_Frowning, Emily looked around for the source of the voice, "If you promise not to scream, I will come out and we can talk," the voice said. "If you scream, I will hurt you."_

_"I won't scream," Emily replied in a soft voice. "Just please tell me where I am."_

_There was silence and then a figure dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with a completely bare head and intense eyes waked into view, "Well, Miss Wolfe, how do you feel?"_

_Before Emily could reply, she felt a searing pain in her left shoulder and gazed down, only to find that it was bandaged and in a sling, "What happened to me?" she asked._

_"Bernie missed you," Ramon replied in an amused tone. "He wanted to see you again."_

"Miss Wolfe?" a voice suddenly spoke, bringing Emily out of her thoughts. "I'm glad you came so quickly."

Emily looked up and saw Horatio standing in front of the bench where she was sitting in boots, dress pants, and a dress shirt with her thinning hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, "Julliet was still asleep when you called, so Mrs. Speedle is watching her," she replied as she stood up. "Marisol Delko gave me a ride here."

Horatio nodded, "I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you," he said softly. "Can you take on a patient?"

Emily nodded, but looked slightly confused as she waited for an explanation, "I've been getting feedback from Bobby that suggests that Detective Hagen is not as fit for duty as he claims," Horatio stated softly. "What I'd like to do is temporarily reassign Bobby to another training officer with the recommendation that Hagen undergoes…"

"Additional counseling while taking a desk assignment," Emily finished softly. "I'd recommend Frank Tripp."

Horatio was silent for a moment and nodded, "I'll talk with Bobby when he comes in to work," he replied, having already decided that Frank would be the ideal choice to train Bobby. "Will you be able to help me, Miss Wolfe?"

"You clear it with the head of Homicide and I'll help," Emily replied calmly, sighing as she heard the elevator open.

Horatio nodded, "I'm surprised at you, Lieutenant," Emily commented softly. "I thought you were concerned."

"About Ryan?" Horatio asked softly, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Has he not received my messages?"

Emily frowned as Marisol approached from behind, "I've been sending him email and text messages asking him to come in and speak with me about possibly working as an assistant to Speed in the lab until he's cleared," Horatio explained, a hint of concern in his voice. "Marisol, hello; how are you doing? I heard you drove Emily here."

Swallowing hard, Emily moved back towards the elevator, pulled out her Blackberry, and fired off a text to Ryan.

* * *

**_Emergency Room: Miami-Dade University Hospital – 7 A.M._**

"Officer Wolfe?"

Ryan opened his eye and was both confused and relieved to see Dr. Loman standing at his bedside with an x-ray in hand while Alexx and Tim stood closer to the door, deep in conversation. "Yes?" Ryan asked in a groggy voice.

"I have your x-ray right here," Dr. Loman replied in a soothing voice. "I also brought you some company."

Ryan didn't move, however, as it would only make him hurt, "An ophthalmologist is going to come by in about half an hour to look at your eye, but I'll do what I can for your chest," Dr. Loman stated as he put the x-ray on a lightboard, turned it on and scanned the x-ray. "Fortunately for you, Ryan, there appears to be no fracture."

"Good," Ryan replied in a tired voice, frowning as he heard his cell phone vibrate. "Can someone pass me that?"

There were footsteps and then Ryan felt his cell phone being pressed into his hand, "It's your sister," Tim replied.

"Hey," Ryan spoke weakly as he held the phone to his ear and listened. "Yeah, I'm at the hospital right now."

Ryan was silent as Emily passed on Horatio's message and insisted that the two men get together to talk sooner than later, "Okay," he replied in a tired voice. "I'll talk to him when I'm feeling better; at least nothing's broken…"

Seeing that Ryan was so tired that he would drop the phone if he didn't intervene, Tim gently pulled it out of Ryan's hand, "Ryan's sleeping, Emily," he said in a quiet voice, smiling as Ryan slowly drifted off. "Yeah, I'll tell him…"

* * *

_**Pediatric Unit - Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital**_

Relieved that Marisol was standing right outside the room with Horatio, and a nurse, Emily relaxed in the chair, smiling as James huddled close to her. After making a quick phone call in the privacy of his office while Emily and Marisol waited with a guard, Horatio had insisted on accompanying them.

James cooed softly as Emily gently traced the small cast on his arm with her finger, taking care not to knock the small IV in his hand out of place, "I hope you can leave the hospital soon, James," she said in a loving voice, chucking as James looked up at her with his blue eyes. "Your sister misses you dearly…"

"Ju?" James asked in a quiet voice, giving Emily a look of confusion as he blinked tiredly. "Wuve."

Emily sighed and nodded as James reached his good hand up and touched her face; the doctors in charge of James's care had told her that James had suffered physical and mental trauma because of all the abuse Bernard had inflicted upon him and the damage could stymie his normal development, but Emily didn't care that James might be different. To her, James was and would always be her James.

"I'll do what I can to give you and Julliet a good Christmas, my James," Emily said in a quiet voice as she gently rocked him, smiling at the small gurgling noises he was making. "I love you both so much…"

The door opened and Marisol came in with a nurse, "Miss Wolfe, hello," the nurse said in a gentle voice as she approached Emily and James. "Doctor Price will be here shortly to discuss discharging James…"

"Discharging James?" Emily asked in a shocked voice. "He'll still need meds and therapy, won't he?"

As the nurse nodded, Emily sighed, "I need to talk to Doctor Price about some sort of payment plan, then," she replied in a worried voice. "My brother, my kids, and I are staying with friends right now…"

"Emily, you shouldn't worry about it right now," Marisol spoke up. "Worrying isn't good for you."

Emily nodded and gently shifted James so that she could lay back in the chair, "You're right, Mari," she replied in a tired voice. "I'll be anxious to talk to Doctor Price; I miss having my little guy with me."

"Your friend is right, Miss Wolfe," the nurse replied as she looked at James's monitor. "Just relax."

James gurgled again and Emily sighed, not noticing that Horatio was watching her and James silently and making a mental note to talk to close friends and the Speedles about getting Emily some more help. He had learned from Marisol that Emily had been struggling since Ryan had been shot and wanted to help.

* * *

_Ding-Dong!_

Swearing under his breath, Bobby, who had been working on tying the red tie that he had worn with his dark suit, ran out of the kitchen where Adam and BJ were sitting at the table in their pajamas with bowls of cereal in front of them. He quickly moved up to the door and silently peered through the peephole.

To his surprise, Frank Tripp was standing on the doorstep in a brown suit and dark tie with his MDPD badge clipped to his belt, "Detective Tripp, what can I do for you?" Bobby asked in a confused voice as he quickly unlocked and opened the front doors. "I hope I'm not in some sort of trouble; am I?"

Frank gave Bobby a confused look, "I've been assigned to take over as your trainer and thought you could use a ride since you don't have a vehicle yet," he replied calmly. "I know I'm a little early…"

A loud crash from the kitchen immediately grabbed Bobby's attention and he ran into the kitchen to see a bowl of cereal on the floor, drowning in a puddle of milk. BJ was staring at the cereal on the floor while Adam was standing beside it with tears pooling in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Daddy," he whispered sadly.

"Oh, Adam, it's all right," Bobby replied calmly, gently pulling the four year old away from the mess and then going over to the sink to get a rag. "Sometimes accidents happen and that was just an accident."

Adam nodded, but looked at the floor, "Hey kid, wanna see a magic trick?" Frank asked in an eager voice as he grabbed some paper towel off a roll that sat on the counter. "I'm gonna drop it on the milk and…"

Adam's eyes widened as Frank dropped the paper towels on the milk and the paper towels quickly absorbed the milk, "Cool," he breathed in an awed voice. "Daddy, who is this guy? Is he magic?"

"This is someone I work with," Bobby replied in a calm voice. "Sir, these are my kids, BJ and Adam."

Frank scoffed, "First of all, don't call me 'sir'," he replied in an amused voice. "It's bad for my ego…"

"Daddy, can we go to New York for Christmas to see Maggie?" BJ asked in a quiet voice. "I miss her."

Bobby paled considerably, but he quickly composed himself, "Boys, you need to finish up breakfast, get dressed, and get your stuff together for school," he replied in a nervous voice. "Daddy has to work…"

"I'm done," BJ replied softly as he pushed his bowl away and stood up. "Can we go out to dinner later?"

Deeply relieved for the change in subject, Bobby nodded, "I think we might," he replied calmly. "Go on."

BJ nodded and obediently left the room, "Daddy, can I go get dressed too?" Adam asked softly.

Bobby nodded and sighed as Adam got up and raced from the room, "Wait, I don't have to work today, so why are you here?" Bobby asked in a confused voice. "And why did I get assigned a new trainer?"

"You're a smart guy," Frank replied, silently impressed. "Look, Lieutenant Caine got wind of some problems between you and Hagen, so he decided to switch you to another trainer for the time being. I know you're not working today and neither am I, but I thought I'd come and let you meet me…"

Bobby crossed his arms, "That makes sense," he replied calmly. "Can I ask you something, Detective?"

"Call me Frank or Tripp, please," Detective Tripp replied gently. "And sure; you can ask me questions."

Swallowing hard, Bobby sighed, "Would you mind helping me take BJ and Adam to school today and then dropping me at the hospital?" he asked softly. "I'm going to visit Rick for a little while today."

Frank was quiet for a moment and nodded, "Sure," he replied softly. "Do you mind if I have a cup of…?"

"There's coffee in the pot, help yourself," Bobby replied as he left the kitchen and hurried up the stairs.

Frank sighed and as he went over to the coffee pot, he made a mental note to befriend his new partner.

* * *

_**Manhattan High School – Manhattan, New York**_

Tommy Lauren smiled as Holly drove away from the curb with Kylie in the backseat and then he turned towards the school only to see Faith and Emily standing on the steps talking, "Tommy," Emily said in a surprised voice as she turned away from her mother. "Mom, this is Tommy Lauren; he goes here…"

"You're Carlos and Holly's son, aren't you?" Faith asked in a compassionate voice. "How are you?"

Tommy shrugged, remembering Detective Yokas from the many times he had had to talk to police officers about the massacre of his family, "I'm hanging in there, I guess, but I'm not looking forward to Christmas this year," he admitted in a quiet voice. "I'm glad I have a family, but it just feels weird…"

Suddenly, a car pulled up to the curb and parked. A moment later, Bosco, Danielle, and John got out and walked up to the entrance, "You guys didn't have to come," John said in a nervous voice, flinching at seeing Faith, Emily, and Tommy. "They're not going to listen anyway, so maybe I should just leave…"

"Bosco," Faith spoke coldly, concerned as to why Bosco and Danielle were coming to school with John.

John immediately averted his gaze and silently walked up the stairs to the door, "Right, this petty crap has to stop," Danielle snapped, giving Faith a look. "That fiasco in Miami happened two months ago!"

"Your son endangered my daughter," Faith replied coldly. "And then he got himself kidnapped!"

Emily gasped, "Mom, I went with him willingly," she replied softly. "He didn't force me…"

Bosco gazed up the steps and saw that John was sitting on the steps with his backpack at his feet with a somber expression on his face, "If you want to have a shouting match, maybe you shouldn't do it in front of kids," Bosco said in a sharp voice as he moved up the steps. "And don't do it in public."

"Mom, I need to get inside," Emily said in a hasty voice, hugging Faith as she moved up the steps.

Faith scoffed, but moved back down the steps and hurried off down the sidewalk, "Are you all right, John?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice as she hurried up the steps. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," John replied softly as he stood and picked up his bag. "It's not like I can forget it…"

Danielle sighed, "Would it help if I told you that I can't forget what happened to me either, John?" she asked as she drew him into a gentle hug. "Even though I can't forget it, I can work to move past it."

"Can I talk to Miss Wolfe on Skype later?" John asked softly. "I think it might help me feel better."

Danielle nodded as she released him, "I'll arrange a call for after school, all right?" she replied gently.

"We should get to the meeting," Bosco spoke up in a gentle voice. "We'll defend you, okay John?"

John nodded and offered a faint smile as he followed his parents inside of the large high school. He was both bewildered and confused by how much Bosco seemed to care for his mother and for all of them.

* * *

**_Pediatric Unit - Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital_**

"Miss Wolfe?"

Emily opened her eyes and her eyes first went to James, who was sleeping in his small hospital bed and then she followed the source of the voice, "Miss Wolfe, I'm sorry to wake you," Dr. Tara Price, the pediatrician who had been in charge of James's care said gently as Emily looked at her. "I wanted to talk to you about discharging James in the next few days and the nurse mentioned a sort of payment plan…"

Blinking tiredly, Emily nodded and didn't move from the chair, "I've been undergoing treatment for breast cancer and I'm not sure how much money I have," she replied in a tired voice. "My brother, my children, and I are staying with friends and I've got to get some Christmas things for all of them…"

"Well, I'm sure we can arrange something," Dr. Price replied calmly. "James is doing quite well."

Emily smiled and smiled at her sleeping son, "Can I give James his breakfast?" she asked quietly.

"Only if you let me get you something as well," Dr. Price replied calmly. "You've got to eat, Emily."

Emily sighed wearily, "I've got no appetite in the morning now because of the chemotherapy I've had," she replied in a tired voice. "By the way, I came with a friend; do you know where she got to?"

"I'm right here," Marisol said in a cheerful voice as she came into the room. "Horatio had to go…"

Emily smiled, "Horatio?" she replied in an amused voice. "It seems you're quite taken with him."

"Yes, well, he's a wonderful distraction," Marisol replied cheerfully. "He says we should double…"

Emily chuckled softly and moaned as a headache hit her, "I just want to get through the holidays," she replied in a pain-filled voice as she massaged her head. "What I could use is a rest, but I can't just…"

"You can and you will," Dr. Price spoke up firmly. "I can sit with James for a bit and you can sleep…"

Emily sighed, but allowed Marisol to help her out of the chair and over to an empty bed that was right next to the one that James was sleeping in, "Give it at least half an hour and then if you feel better, you can get up and we'll talk some more," Dr. Price said in a gentle voice. "I'm on a bit of a break anyway."

"Emily, are you okay?" a deep voice asked as Tim suddenly entered the room with a small stuffed puppy in his calloused hands. "Ryan's downstairs with Alexx and an ophthalmologist and I decided to come see James and give him something to make his hospital stay a little easier. I didn't know you were here."

Emily looked at Tim through tired eyes, "I'm his mother," she replied tiredly. "Where else would I be?"

"Officer Speedle, right?" Dr. Price asked, recognizing the CSI as one of Emily's friends who had come to the hospital during James's many days as a patient there. "Would you mind sitting with James Wolfe?"

Tim smiled, "I brought James a little something," he replied calmly. "The hospital can be a scary place."

Dr. Price smiled, "I'll leave you to it then," she replied, chuckling heartily as she left the hospital room.

Smiling sadly, Emily quietly lay down on the gurney and allowed herself to drift into a much needed sleep, trusting that Tim and Marisol would watch over James, as she had to let herself trust again.

* * *

_**Recovery Unit - Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital**_

Grateful that Frank had chosen to stay and was waiting in the hall as a precaution, Bobby silently entered Rick's hospital room and was surprised to see that Rick was asleep in bed. The room had been decorated for Christmas by the hospital, but even with it and Rick's things, the room looked so lonely.

"…No, please don't shoot," Rick suddenly mumbled as he tossed in bed and immediately winced.

Bobby frowned and approached the bed, slinging the bag he had brought for Rick over his shoulder before he decided to place it on the bed, "Rick, wake up," he said in a concerned voice. "Rick…"

Rick gasped and opened his eyes, "Bobby?" he asked in a shocked voice. "Ow, my shoulder…"

"Here," Bobby said in a gentle voice as he found the pain button and eased it into Rick's IV laden hand.

Rick gasped and sighed as the medication quickly kicked in, "Thanks," he replied softly. "I mean it."

"I brought you some clothes and books," Bobby replied calmly, gesturing to the bag on the bed.

Rick nodded and sighed, "Hey, I hope you don't think I was mad at you," he said in a tired voice as he gazed up at his younger brother-in-law. "Clavo and Ramon made me send you a nasty message."

"I figured it was either that or you had taken too much pain medication," Bobby replied softly as he pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. "How long have Clavo and Ramon been bothering you?"

Rick blinked, "Over the phone, a great deal," he replied softly. "At least they haven't visited."

Bobby nodded, "I heard Hagen threatened you," Rick said in a more serious tone. "You okay?"

"How did you hear that?" Bobby asked in a quiet voice. "I didn't think that was police news."

Rick chuckled, "I'm not as sadistic and narcissistic as everyone thinks," he replied softly. "Oh, I'll be taking a bit of a holiday once I'm cleared to leave the hospital. I'm going to Brazil for a while…"

"Rick, that's a really stupid idea," Bobby replied in a concerned voice. "You'll end up getting killed."

A somber expression crossed Rick's face, "I promised someone I'd find their daughter, but I don't know how to go about it," he explained in a tired voice. "I don't want to go to Brazil, but what choice do I…?"

"Rick, maybe you should just get some rest for now," Bobby said gently, seeing that Rick was tiring. "I'll sit here with you while you sleep, all right? I don't work today and some more sleep will do you good."

Rick scoffed, but nodded, "I don't need more police supervision, but I will have a sleep," he replied in a tired voice. "There's already a guard outside my room and the MDPD keeps sending them, so I'm fine."

Suddenly understanding why there was a uniformed officer outside of the room who had asked for his ID before allowing him access to Rick, Bobby nodded as he stood up, "I'll come by later," he promised.

Rick nodded and closed his eyes as Bobby left the room, "Enjoy your visit?" Frank asked softly.

"Yes," Bobby replied in a tired voice. "You didn't have to stay, Frank, but I appreciate that you did."

Frank nodded and walked alongside Bobby as they walked towards the elevator in complete silence.

* * *

"You want to _what_?" Bosco asked in a concerned voice as he gazed at John through the rearview mirror while he waited for the traffic light to turn green so that they could keep going. "Why?"

John sighed, "I want to visit Catherine Willows at Bellevue," he replied softly, playing with the fraying handle on his backpack as he looked at Bosco and his mother. "I want to know why she hurt me."

"John, that's not a good idea right now," Danielle replied in a concerned voice as she turned and looked at her eldest son with a sympathetic expression on her face. "We should just have a quiet holiday."

John's eyes narrowed, but he promptly gazed out the window, "From what I've heard, John, Catherine's undergoing treatment for a severe psychotic break and also for post-traumatic stress disorder," Bosco spoke up in an unusually thoughtful voice as the light turned green and he moved the car forward.

"…_I was told that if I took you to your father, he'd help me find my daughter," _Catherine's anxious voice filtered through John's mind, causing him to let out a sigh; it was too dangerous for him to be of any help, but he wanted to help Catherine desperately and had expressed it, yet he wasn't allowed to.

Seeing John's concerned look, Bosco sighed, "I'm glad that the school let you go home after the meeting," he commented in a concerned voice. "John, I know that Catherine ranted to you about her missing child, but you aren't the police; you're a kid and you shouldn't have to go through this."

"Yeah," John replied in a tired voice as he slouched in his seat, silently offering a prayer for relief.

Danielle smiled reassuringly at him, "It'll all be okay, John," she replied confidently. "I promise you."

* * *

"Ryan?"

Ryan opened his good eye and was surprised to see Eric standing beside the bed with a wheelchair and a concerned looking Alexx, "The ophthalmologist and the ER doc said you're clear to leave, but that you can't drive until the patch comes off," Alexx explained gently. "Eric's going to give you a ride."

"Don't you have to work?" Ryan asked in a confused voice as he slowly sat up. "I don't want to…"

Eric shook his head, "I traded shifts with Valera, so I'm off today," he replied calmly. "Ready?"

Nodding, Ryan slowly stood up and sank into the wheelchair, "Emily's still upstairs with James and Speed's watching over them both, but Speed's mom is at the house with Julliet," Eric explained as he wheeled Ryan from the room. "I came while you were resting and also got updates on the phone."

Ryan flinched as they went out into the sun and through his good eye, he could see Eric's car parked at the curb, but the windows had been smashed; it was if someone had been following Eric closely.

"What the heck?" Eric asked in a sharp voice as he hurried over to the car. "Brand new windows…"

Alexx gasped and Ryan suddenly saw Ray, who didn't look quite healthy, hiding in the bushes with a bat in his gloved hands. Ray narrowed his eyes at Ryan, but said nothing; he only gave Ryan a sharp look before disappearing into the bushes. Ryan nearly jumped out of the chair when Alexx touched his arm.

"Baby, are you all right?" Alexx asked in a concerned voice, wondering if Ryan had gone into shock.

Ryan nodded, "I'm fine," he replied in a quiet voice, making a mental note to contact Victims' Assistance.

* * *

Please read and review!


End file.
